Top 5 Must Popular Lord Shiva Temple Gujarat - Shivadhyan

Top 5 Must Popular Lord Shiva Temple Gujarat - History Image's And More

1. Somnath Temple

Somnath Temple

The principal temple of Somnath is believed to have been built in gold by the moon god Soma, in silver by the sun god Ravi, in wood by Krishna and in stone by the Solanki Rajputs in the 11th century. The present temple, built in 1951, is the seventh reconstruction on the original site. Tales of its riches attracted a series of invasions, but each time the temple was invaded, it was restored to its original glory by devout Hindu worshipers. Commanding a breathtaking view from the tip of the Saurashtra peninsula, kissed by the waves of the Arabian coast, the temple has been constructed in the Chalukyan style with a shikhara nearly 50 m tall. The temple's imposing architecture includes intricate carvings, silver doors, an impressive Nandi idol and the central shivalinga. In the vast courtyard stand the massive mandapa (hall), as well as the main shrine, whose gently curved pyramidal forms tower over the whole complex.

Through a side door the sea is visible shimmering in the sunlight. Try slipping out to gaze at the roaring waves below, which though not safe for swimming, present an exhilarating spectacle. In view, you will find a tower called Deep Stambha erected on the embankment. On the top is a shape like a conch shell on its side, and in the tower is an arrow pointing directly to the south pole (interestingly, a line between here and the south pole crosses no land until Antarctica.)

The Kartik Purnima Fair is held here for four days beginning on Kartik Sud 14 according to the Hindu calendar, and attracts crowds in large numbers.
   

Address : Somnath, Veraval, Gujarat 362255

2.Nageshwar Temple

Nageshwar Temple

Located on the route between Dwarka city and Beyt Dwarka Island on the coast of Saurashtra in Gujarat is this important Lord Shiva Temple.It is enshrined by one of the 12 swayambhu (self-existent) jyothirlingas in the world, in an underground sanctum.A 25 m tall statue of a sitting Lord Shiva and a large garden with a pond are major attractions of this rather serene place.Some archaeological excavations claim five earlier cities at the site.

Nageshwar was believed to be known as 'Darukavana', which is an ancient epic name of a forest in India.Below are two well-known legends attached to this mystical temple:

According to the first legend, 'Balakhilyas', a group of dwarf sages worshipped Lord Shiva in Darukavana for long a time.To test their devotion and patience, Shiva came to them as a nude ascetic wearing only nagas [serpants] on his body.Wives of sages got attracted to the saint and went after him, leaving their husbands behind.Sages got very disturbed and outraged by this.They lost their patience and cursed the ascetic to loose his linga [one of the limited meanings is Phallus, but it has has a deeper theistic symbolism].Shiva linga fell on the earth and the whole world trembled.Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu came to Lord Shiva, requesting him to save the earth from destruction and take back his linga.Shiva consoled them and took back his linga.[From Vamana Purana CH.6th & 45th].Lord Shiva promised his divine presence in Darukavana as 'jyothirlinga' for ever.

Another story goes hundreds of years ago in the Shiv Purana, about a demon couple named Daruka and Daruki, after whom was named Daruka Van (forest), later known as Dwarka.Daruki was a devotee of Parvati and was blessed by her.He misused her blessings and tryranized the local folks.One day he captured a Shiva devotee called Supriya who was one of the pilgrims on a boat.The demon imprisoned her along with several others at his capital Darukavana.Supriya advised all prisoners to recite the Shiva mantra ‘Aum Namaha Shivayay’ to protect them.When Daruka came to know about this he ran to kill Supriya.Instantly Lord Shiva appeared in the form of a jyothirlinga from the earth.He could not kill the demon who was blessed by his own wife, Parvati, but he assured Supriya that he would protect him in the form of a linga.The linga here thus came to be revered.
   

Address : Daarukavanam, Gujarat 361345

3. Koteshwar Temple

Koteshwar Temple

After traveling over the expanse of desert in western Kutch, you find the Koteshwar Temple, at a place where the immensity of dry land meets the incomprehensible vastness of the sea. After so much arid ground, the sight of the ocean will awaken your spirits; though the sea is even less hospitable to humans, a sobering thought. The only point that breaks the skyline from the flat brown horizon to the east and the wide blue horizon to the west is the point of the Koteshwar Temple, the last outpost of human construction at the westernmost limit of India. Not overrun by tourists like the temple at Dwarka, Koteshwar is conducive to contemplating emptiness, pondering the place of humanity on earth (and ultimately, isn’t that what spiritual traditions are about?).

The story of Koteshwar begins with Ravana, who won a boon from Lord Shiva for an outstanding display of piety. This boon was the gift of a Shiva linga of great spiritual power, but which Ravana, in his arrogant haste, accidentally dropped and it fell to earth at Koteshwar. To punish Ravana for his carelessness, the linga turned into a thousand identical copies (some versions of the story say ten thousand, some a million; suffice to say it was quite a lot.) Unable to distinguish the original, Ravana grabbed one and departed, leaving the original one here, around which Koteshwar Temple was built.

Visitors can see the temple, walk along the beach and on a clear night, even see the glow of light from Karachi, Pakistan, on the northwestern horizon.
   

Address : Narayan Sarovar, Gujarat 370601

4.Galteshwar Temple

Galteshwar Temple

About 16 km from Dakor is a Shiva temple of the Solanki era, situated on the alluring sangam (confluence) of the rivers Mahi and Galati where it is said lived Galav Muni Chandrahaas of Puranic fame. At present the lovely rocky bank of Mahi and the beautiful old Shiva temple on it has one spring of the River Galati constantly sprinkling water on the Shiva linga. Rich in art and architecture, it has a unique eight-sided hall. The walls have carved figures of Gods, gandharvas, humans, rishis, horse riders, elepant riders, chariots, doli (palanquins) and the events of a human life, from birth to death, are all depicted in these carvings.
   

Address : Galteshwar, Gujarat 394140

5.Hatkeshwar Temple

Hatkeshwar Temple

This profusely carved 17th century temple just outside town enshrines Hatkeshwar Mahadev, the family deity of Nagar Brahmins, who were once a prominent community in Vadnagar.

The temple's inner sanctum houses a Shiva linga said to have self-emerged (swayambhu). From the roof of the sanctum a massive shikhar soars high into the sky. Facing east, the temple is enclosed by a high wall topped by three circular domes interspersed with flat stretches in the Indo-Saracenic tradition.

The exterior of the temple is exquisitely ornamented with figures of the nine planets, musicians, evocative dancing apsaras, regent deities, the chief gods of the Hindu pantheon, scenes from the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and varied animal and floral motifs. The premises also have an ancient Kashivishveshvara Shiva temple, a Swaminarayan temple and two Jain temples.

Address : Haripura Rd, Maningar East, Khokhra Mehmadabad, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380008